Graduates from our Professional Training Program
Sahana Ratneswaran
"Artistic Accomplishments:
Performance, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (2018)
Performance, Kalakshetra Foundation (2015 & 2019).
Flourising in the Further Soil 2018 presented by Menaka Thakkar
Horizon Series 2015 at the Sampradaya Theatre in Mississauga
Sahana started the Samarpanam Series in 2013 and continues to perform yearly. With such talent, Sahana has founded a charitable organization 'Sahana Dance Company’ to spread her devotion of dance to the community continuing to always reach out, learn and share her knowledge of the many different dance forms of the world. Her dance drama repertoire includes Sangilian in Sangilian dance drama, Krishna in Krishna Avatharam, Pandaravaniyan in Pandaravaniyan, and Naachiyar in Pandaravaniyan. Sahana’s interest in Tamils’ History had led her to choreograph “Sangilian,” a one hour dance drama production in 2017.
Awards
2012, 2013 two-time regional gold medalist at the Canada's National Dance Championships
2013 gold medalists at the Dance World Cup
2016 Harbourfront Centre’s Sadhana 2016
2016 - first place in the senior category at Analai Express’s & Athavan TV‘s Navarasa Natiyam Dance Competition
2018 Tamil Mirror’s Awards Gala 2018
Grants
2013 Ontario Arts Council - dance training grant for the summer professional training program
2014 Ontario Arts Council - dance training grant for the summer professional training program
2015 Ontario Arts Council - dance training grant for the summer professional training program
2018 Ontario Arts Council - dance training grant for the summer
2024 Ontario Arts Council - Community Engaged Art Project
"
Meera Krish Kanageswaran
She is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies. She holds an MA (Master of Arts) from the Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Toronto and an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in Dance from York University. Her MFA thesis Introspection into the Evolution of Bharathanatyam in Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora During and Post Civil War examined dance works produced by diasporic Tamil artists during the civil war period in Sri Lanka. As part of her MFA thesis Meera created two dance films, Iḻappu and Isolation. Her MA thesis critically examined the teacher-student relationship within Bharathanatyam classrooms in order to assess the efficacy as well as ineffectiveness of various aspects of this relationship. Meera’s doctoral research trajectory includes critically studying current Bharathanatyam pedagogy in order to create inclusive and accessible Bharathanatyam classrooms. Meera founded Confidance Bharatham in 2006. In addition to training students in Bharathanatyam, Meera’s objective is to provide an inclusive space for students to use Bharathanatyam, which is a storytelling dance form, as a tool to express themselves. Nurturing confidence, creativity and critical thinking in each and every student is fundamental for Meera as a teacher. Her recent choreographic works include Destructive Desires, Let’s talk about it, Balancing on the Hyphen and Engal Kathaikal.
"
Malarvilly Varatharaja
"Malarvilly produced and created a documentary on Bharathanatya dancers, “Voice of an Artist” selected for a coveted award by York Region Film Festival. She is also the winner of the “TOP Talent – Classical Dance 2010” award. With the support received from Metcalf Foundation (first time artist internship for a performer) and Ontario Arts Council, Malarvilly is currently the Artistic Administrative intern at Ipsita Nova Dance Projects. Currently, Malarvilly is the jurors for DORA DANCE AWARDS (Contemporary and classical ballet shows).Malarvilly was an actor of short films, music videos and has hosted a half hour youth oriented show for community television. Malarvilly is also a certified yoga instructor, keen athlete with provincial record holding in cross-country, teacher, soccer coach, and a community worker. Her recent achievements: DORA Dance Award Jury. First South Asian artist in Canada to be chosen for a precious dance award jury duty. She received her Masters in Bharathanatyam, Annamalai University. Ontario Arts Council Dance Jury & Toronto Arts Council Jury. First time artist internship given to a performer by MetCalf Foundation within all styles of dance (Ballet, Jazz, etc) to Malar Varatharaja. First artist to produce a documentary on dance and its growth in South Asian Community (Focusing Tamil community) to make awareness within its community. Has been awarded to be touring Sri Lanka and Indian states (2012/2013) in researching projects for Bharathanatyam and Contemporary Bharathanatyam. She is also the recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts - Grants to Dance Professionals 2014. "
Luckshana Thiruchelvam
Luckshana is Srilankan Tamil Canadian. The art of bharatanatyam has always been a significant of Luckshana's life. She started learning dance at Laya Bhava Dance Academy at the age of four under Guru Smt. Kirupanithy Ratneswaran. She completed her bharatanatyam arangetram on August 25th 2018. She as participated in many cultural events in Toronto. She performed for Flourishing in the Further Soil presented by Menaka Thakkar Dance Company in November 2018. She has learnt in many workshops conducted by International artists. She has learnt Carnatic vocal and violin for the past 12 years. She has been teaching dance at Laya Bhava Dance Academy for the past 5 years. She is a dancer at Sahana Dance Company and also performs for Dance Video Productions.
Premy Shanthamoorthy
remy is Srilankan Tamil Canadian. Premy had began learning at Laya Bhava Dance Academy from the age of 5 under Guru Smt. Kirupanithy Ratneswaran. She completed her arangetram in August 2012. She performed for Flourishing in the Further Soil presented by Menaka Thakkar Dance Company in November 2018. Premy has given several performances throughout the GTA. Premy teaches at Laya Bhava Dance Academy. Premy is also a dancer at Sahana Dance Company.
Vaisnavi Shanthamoorthy
Vaisnavi is Srilankan Tamil Canadian. Vaisnavi had began learning at Laya Bhava Dance Academy from the age of 7 under Guru Smt. Kirupanithy Ratneswaran. She completed her arangetram in August 2012. She won first place at the Navarasa Natyam Dance competition in 2016. She performed for Flourishing in the Further Soil presented by Menaka Thakkar Dance Company in November 2018. She also performed alongside Indhuvadana Malli (Adyar K Lakshman) in Bhakthi Pravaham 2018. Vaisnavi has given several performances throughout the GTA. Vaisnavi is a dancer for Sahana Dance Company.
Nilshika Suvaminathan
Nilshika is Srilankan Tamil Canadian. Nilshika is a trained Carnatic musician and she completed in music arangetram in 2022. She is trained in vocal and violin. Nilshika frequently performs with Toronto Tamil playback singers. She won second place in Tamil Entertainment Television’s music competition in 2023. She is trained in bharatanatyam and Gaana styles. Nilshika is also the first runner up for Miss Tamil Canada’s Beauty Pageant. Nilshika is currently a teacher at LBDA. She is also a Sahana Dance Company Dancer.
"Artistic Accomplishments:
Performance, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (2018)
Performance, Kalakshetra Foundation (2015 & 2019).
Flourising in the Further Soil 2018 presented by Menaka Thakkar
Horizon Series 2015 at the Sampradaya Theatre in Mississauga
Sahana started the Samarpanam Series in 2013 and continues to perform yearly. With such talent, Sahana has founded a charitable organization 'Sahana Dance Company’ to spread her devotion of dance to the community continuing to always reach out, learn and share her knowledge of the many different dance forms of the world. Her dance drama repertoire includes Sangilian in Sangilian dance drama, Krishna in Krishna Avatharam, Pandaravaniyan in Pandaravaniyan, and Naachiyar in Pandaravaniyan. Sahana’s interest in Tamils’ History had led her to choreograph “Sangilian,” a one hour dance drama production in 2017.
Awards
2012, 2013 two-time regional gold medalist at the Canada's National Dance Championships
2013 gold medalists at the Dance World Cup
2016 Harbourfront Centre’s Sadhana 2016
2016 - first place in the senior category at Analai Express’s & Athavan TV‘s Navarasa Natiyam Dance Competition
2018 Tamil Mirror’s Awards Gala 2018
Grants
2013 Ontario Arts Council - dance training grant for the summer professional training program
2014 Ontario Arts Council - dance training grant for the summer professional training program
2015 Ontario Arts Council - dance training grant for the summer professional training program
2018 Ontario Arts Council - dance training grant for the summer
2024 Ontario Arts Council - Community Engaged Art Project
"
Meera Krish Kanageswaran
She is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies. She holds an MA (Master of Arts) from the Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Toronto and an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in Dance from York University. Her MFA thesis Introspection into the Evolution of Bharathanatyam in Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora During and Post Civil War examined dance works produced by diasporic Tamil artists during the civil war period in Sri Lanka. As part of her MFA thesis Meera created two dance films, Iḻappu and Isolation. Her MA thesis critically examined the teacher-student relationship within Bharathanatyam classrooms in order to assess the efficacy as well as ineffectiveness of various aspects of this relationship. Meera’s doctoral research trajectory includes critically studying current Bharathanatyam pedagogy in order to create inclusive and accessible Bharathanatyam classrooms. Meera founded Confidance Bharatham in 2006. In addition to training students in Bharathanatyam, Meera’s objective is to provide an inclusive space for students to use Bharathanatyam, which is a storytelling dance form, as a tool to express themselves. Nurturing confidence, creativity and critical thinking in each and every student is fundamental for Meera as a teacher. Her recent choreographic works include Destructive Desires, Let’s talk about it, Balancing on the Hyphen and Engal Kathaikal.
"
Malarvilly Varatharaja
"Malarvilly produced and created a documentary on Bharathanatya dancers, “Voice of an Artist” selected for a coveted award by York Region Film Festival. She is also the winner of the “TOP Talent – Classical Dance 2010” award. With the support received from Metcalf Foundation (first time artist internship for a performer) and Ontario Arts Council, Malarvilly is currently the Artistic Administrative intern at Ipsita Nova Dance Projects. Currently, Malarvilly is the jurors for DORA DANCE AWARDS (Contemporary and classical ballet shows).Malarvilly was an actor of short films, music videos and has hosted a half hour youth oriented show for community television. Malarvilly is also a certified yoga instructor, keen athlete with provincial record holding in cross-country, teacher, soccer coach, and a community worker. Her recent achievements: DORA Dance Award Jury. First South Asian artist in Canada to be chosen for a precious dance award jury duty. She received her Masters in Bharathanatyam, Annamalai University. Ontario Arts Council Dance Jury & Toronto Arts Council Jury. First time artist internship given to a performer by MetCalf Foundation within all styles of dance (Ballet, Jazz, etc) to Malar Varatharaja. First artist to produce a documentary on dance and its growth in South Asian Community (Focusing Tamil community) to make awareness within its community. Has been awarded to be touring Sri Lanka and Indian states (2012/2013) in researching projects for Bharathanatyam and Contemporary Bharathanatyam. She is also the recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts - Grants to Dance Professionals 2014. "
Luckshana Thiruchelvam
Luckshana is Srilankan Tamil Canadian. The art of bharatanatyam has always been a significant of Luckshana's life. She started learning dance at Laya Bhava Dance Academy at the age of four under Guru Smt. Kirupanithy Ratneswaran. She completed her bharatanatyam arangetram on August 25th 2018. She as participated in many cultural events in Toronto. She performed for Flourishing in the Further Soil presented by Menaka Thakkar Dance Company in November 2018. She has learnt in many workshops conducted by International artists. She has learnt Carnatic vocal and violin for the past 12 years. She has been teaching dance at Laya Bhava Dance Academy for the past 5 years. She is a dancer at Sahana Dance Company and also performs for Dance Video Productions.
Premy Shanthamoorthy
remy is Srilankan Tamil Canadian. Premy had began learning at Laya Bhava Dance Academy from the age of 5 under Guru Smt. Kirupanithy Ratneswaran. She completed her arangetram in August 2012. She performed for Flourishing in the Further Soil presented by Menaka Thakkar Dance Company in November 2018. Premy has given several performances throughout the GTA. Premy teaches at Laya Bhava Dance Academy. Premy is also a dancer at Sahana Dance Company.
Vaisnavi Shanthamoorthy
Vaisnavi is Srilankan Tamil Canadian. Vaisnavi had began learning at Laya Bhava Dance Academy from the age of 7 under Guru Smt. Kirupanithy Ratneswaran. She completed her arangetram in August 2012. She won first place at the Navarasa Natyam Dance competition in 2016. She performed for Flourishing in the Further Soil presented by Menaka Thakkar Dance Company in November 2018. She also performed alongside Indhuvadana Malli (Adyar K Lakshman) in Bhakthi Pravaham 2018. Vaisnavi has given several performances throughout the GTA. Vaisnavi is a dancer for Sahana Dance Company.
Nilshika Suvaminathan
Nilshika is Srilankan Tamil Canadian. Nilshika is a trained Carnatic musician and she completed in music arangetram in 2022. She is trained in vocal and violin. Nilshika frequently performs with Toronto Tamil playback singers. She won second place in Tamil Entertainment Television’s music competition in 2023. She is trained in bharatanatyam and Gaana styles. Nilshika is also the first runner up for Miss Tamil Canada’s Beauty Pageant. Nilshika is currently a teacher at LBDA. She is also a Sahana Dance Company Dancer.
Sivatharsini Sivaratnam
Arangetrams 1989-2024